Authentic Tapioca Dumplings with Pork

This article is a recipe for authentic Lao and Thai tapioca dumplings with pork that provide delicious flavors that you will absolutely love.

Table of Contents

What are Laos tapioca dumplings?

Tapioca dumplings, known as sakoo yat sai, are small, savory opaque balls of deliciousness filled with caramelized seasoned ground pork, sweet pickled radish, and peanuts in both Thai and Lao cuisines. This is a popular street snack in both Thailand and Lao food stalls that everyone loves due to the flavor explosion that it provides to your taste buds.

Tapioca dumplings can be served any time of year, but they are very popular during family gatherings, but especially during the Lao and Thai New Year celebration which typically happens in April.

Savory tapioca dumplings with pork filling

When you take a bite of these dumplings, the burst of all of the flavors and textures begin to fill your mouth with varying contrasting taste and juxtapositions of pretty much everything. They are often served wrapped in lettuce leaves topped with fresh herbs like mint and basil topped with hot chiles.

The translucent ball is made of sticky tapioca. The filling includes ground peanuts and caramelized ground pork.

While the dish looks very complex and complicated to make, in reality, it's not. This delicious tapioca dumpling recipe is simpler than it really looks and absolutely delicious!

I'm going to talk through common questions about this dish as well as frequently asked questions so that when you start making this recipe, you'll be ready to devour it in it's perfectly round and perfectly filled ball as soon as the dumplings arrive out of the steamer.

Other Names for Laos Tapioca Dumplings

Laos tapioca dumplings have other names they are known as. This includes:

sakoo sai moo
saku sai mu
Thai pork dumplings
Lao tapioca dumplings
Thai tapioca dumplings

Difference Between Lao Tapioca Dumplings and Thai Tapioca Dumplings

There is no difference in ingredients between the Lao style tapioca dumplings and Thai tapioca dumplings. Both feature essentially the same fillings and the same accompaniments.

What are the ingredients inside of Lao tapioca dumplings?

Coarsely ground peanuts and well seasoned ground pork provides a delicious texture.

Frequently Asked Questions for Cooking Tapioca Dumplings

Before you get started with the recipe, here are some tips and tricks to make sure your recipe for this is a success.

What size should tapioca dumplings be?

A good sized tapioca dumpling should be small enough to fit in someone's mouth to take a bite, similar to that of a cherry tomato. The tapioca wrap itself should be soft, yet thin enough for you to see the filing inside.

Can Thai and Lao dumplings be made with sago?

Generally, Thai and Lao pork filled dumplings are made with tapioca pearls. You can adapt the recipe to use sago, but it will require longer soaking periods than tapioca. The final product has a similar physical appearance and often cooks similar. However, in some recipes, sago and tapioca pearls cannot be interchanged.

What's the difference between tapioca and sago?

The difference between tapioca and sago is that they have different botanical origins. Tapioca pearls are made with the starch from a root crop called cassava. Sago is made from an array of tropical palm trees.

What if the tapioca dough is too sticky?

When soaking tapioca pearls, ensure that you are using cold water and not hot water. Hot water makes the tapioca very sticky and hard to work with.

How do I get tapioca dough not to sticky to my hands?

Dip your hand into water before handling the dough, moistening your finger as needed while forming the dumplings.

Why is the dough for the tapioca dumplings not forming correctly?

The tapioca pearls may need to soak in the water for a longer duration. If the dough does not feel sticky, continue to add small amounts of water, a teaspoon at a time, and massage the water in.

What if the dough for the tapioca seems waterlogged?

If the tapioca pearls seem to be sitting in water, add a teaspoon of tapioca into the water. There is a 1:1 ratio for tapioca pearls and water.

What happens if the filling won't form with the tapioca balls?

The three tricks to ensuring that the pork filling forms with the tapioca into perfect ball sized dumplings is adding more diced onions, ensuring that the peanuts aren't to chunky, and forming the dumplings while the filling is still warm!

Why would dumplings break during cooking?

The tapioca wrapped around the filling may have been too thin. Ensure that you have enough tapioca around the filling.

When should tapioca dumplings be served?

They should be served right after taken off from the steamer accompanied with lettuce, chili peppers, and potentially fish sauce!

Can the filling for the tapioca dumplings be made ahead of time?

Tapioca dumpling fillings can be made ahead of time.

Steamed Tapioca Dumpling with Pork Filing

Lao and Thai tapioca dumplings are best when they are made at home because they are fresh and hot!

a small savory ball of dough (usually made with suet) which may be boiled, fried, or baked in a casserole.

Ingredients for Tapioca Dumplings with Pork Filling

Tapioca Wrapper

1 ½ cups pearl tapioca (approximately 8 ounces)
¾ cup hot water
¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the Filling

2 teaspoons of white peppercorns
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 stems of cilantro
¼ cup of white onion, chopped
2 whole shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, mined
8 ounces of lean ground pork
1 tablespoon of palm sugar (brown sugar as a substitute)
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 teaspoon of finely chopped Thai birds eye chiles
3 tablespoons of unsalted roasted peanuts, crushed

For Steaming:

banana leaves or parchment paper

Accompaniments and Garnish

Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Crushed fried garlic
Lettuce
Cilantro

Serving Size: 25 dumplings

Instructions for Tapioca Dumplings with Pork

To make the dough for the dumplings, rinse the tapioca pearls in a mesh strainer. Transfer it to a bowl.

Dissolve salt in hot water (not boiling), and gradually add tapioca while mixing well. Allow to sit for an hour while the tapioca blooms and expands.

To prepare the filling, grind together the white peppercorns and cilantro stems until it is completely ground together. Traditionally, Lao people use mortar and pestles to grind both ingredients together. You can also use a food processor to achieve a similar result.

Next, heat up cooking oil on medium heat. Cook onions, shallots, and garlic cloves until golden brown. Stir in palm sugar, the paste from the white peppercorns and cilantro and allow it to caramelize.

Next, add in ground pork, fish sauce, and chopped Thai birds eye chiles and allow the mixture to solidify. Take it off heat and add in the peanuts. Allow the pork mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

To shape the balls, use moistened fingers to roll the tapioca pearls into a 1.5 inch ball. Do this for all of the tapioca pearls, setting them aside covered with a damp cloth.

Next, take the tapioca flour and dust your hands with them. Press your thumb to form a cup shape into the ball. Add in a teaspoon of the ground pork mixture. Use your fingers to bring the flexible edges over the filling to meet in the middle. Gently squeeze the edges together with your fingers to seal and mold it into a ball again. Cover with damp cloth until you are ready to steam.

Once ready to steam, get the water boiling in your steamer. Place the tapioca balls onto a banana leaf onto a stacked steamer, leaving ½ inch between each tapioca dumpling to allow the ball to expand. Once the water starts to boil, add the tapioca into the stacked steamer and allow it to steam for 20 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with crushed fried garlic and garnish with lettuce and cilantro. Provide sweet chili dipping sauce as an accompaniment.

Serving Steamed Tapioca Dumplings

Tapioca dumplings are often served with fresh chili pepper. Green lettuce and fresh cilantro are often provided as accompaniments in order to quell the heat from the fresh Thai birds eye chili peppers.

For the best flavor and chewy texture, tapioca dumplings should be served right out of the steamer.

Preserving Tapioca Dumplings

Tapioca dumplings can be preserved before the steaming process in the freezer.

Summary

Laos tapioca dumplings are undeniably savory and allow you taste buds to dance in a beautiful arrangement of flavors. These walnut-shaped balls of chewy, steamed tapioca exemplify both Lao and Thai cuisine because of the sweet and spicy kick. If you are ever invited to a Thai or Lao gathering, these delicious tapioca dumplings may be a recipe you'll find sitting right next to sticky rice, minced meat salad (larb gai), and papaya salad!

Other Thai and Lao Recipes You Might Love

Savory tapioca dumplings with pork filling and fish sauce

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